By Michele Gillis, Staff Writer
Even though not one phone call has been made to recruit agents, Millie Kanyar and Audrey Lackie already have a running start with six agents on the roster of their new company, The Legends of Real Estate East Coast.
They announced the opening of their new company on Facebook and the calls started coming in.
Lackie said the response has been overwhelming.
After working at Watson Realty for almost 20 years, Kanyar and Lackie have been kicking the idea around of going out on their own for a few years before deciding to pull the trigger.
"As with any business, the toughest part is making the decision to go ahead and just do it," said Kanyar.
The Legends of Real Estate East Coast is up and running, but the doors of their new office located at 1236 3rd St. in Jacksonville Beach will not open until January.
They are working out of their homes, coffee shops or wherever their customers need them until the office opens.
Though Lackie and Kanyar are co-owners and co-brokers of the company, they really want their agents to feel as if they are part of a team working together for everyone's benefit.
They have structured the new company to allow the agents to have more of a say in how things are done. They will ask for ideas from their agents and share information to help everyone in the company.
"We don't know it all, so their input will be very valuable," said Kanyar.
Their vision and look of the office will be somewhere between an Apple store and a Starbucks, and will be completely paperless, wireless and mobile.
Kanyar said it will be comfortable, trendy and high tech.
Each agent will have an iPad loaded with the software they need to work anywhere.
Social media will be a big part of their marketing and a way to communicate both with their agents and the community in general.
"It is fast and as we have experienced most recently, a way to get word out that engages everyone involved and allows for sharing of ideas and opinions," said Kanyar.
The office will focus on residential and commercial sales and leasing, as well as property management.
Kanyar and Lackie have known each other for almost 20 years.
Kanyar has been an agent as well as a manager during her 18 years with Watson Realty.
Lackie was a recruiter during her 17 years with Watson Realty and an agent and manager at another company before that.
"I think we have a powerful match between us with our strengths and weaknesses," said Lackie. "Our idea is to work together on running the office and working with the agents."
Combined, they have more than 50 years of real estate experience.
"We are good partners because we each have a different point of view on things but more importantly we complement each other," said Kanyar.
Kanyar said it is important to have a partner you can have a difference of opinion with and still be friends.
"We don't always agree on everything but we do respect each other's view and as a rule are able to come to an amicable agreement," she said.
The new agents in the office will be Mary Ann Culbreath, Andrew Bell, Paul Gruenther, Susie Johnston, Sheryl DeGrove and Dustin Van An Twerp.
Johnston had recently left her job as a site agent and wanted to get back into general real estate. She wanted to work at an office at the beach "but my heart was with The Legends of Real Estate in town," she said.
"When I heard that Audrey and Millie were opening the Legends of Real Estate East Coast office, I was thrilled," she said.
Culbreath said she has worked with some of the best in the industry during her career.
"Knowing the reputation of Audrey and Millie and being able to be a part of their vision will allow me to continue the trend of professionalism that I myself take pride in and have fun the process," she said.
Though the name is the similar to their sister company, The Legends of Real Estate, owned by Selby Kaiser and Linda McMorrow, they are a separate company.
Lackie said they didn't want a franchise or create a new brand.
"I've always said, if I went into business by myself, their brand epitomizes a company that has integrity, reputation and ethics," said Lackie. "It was kind of a no-brainer."
Kaiser said Kanyar and Lackie approached them about using the name. Kaiser said though they had no reservations or hesitations, they carefully considered their business plans to make sure that their goals were compatible.
Kaiser said she and McMorrow were flattered that Lackie and Kanyar saw such value in the name recognition and reputation that they and their agents had created.
Kaiser said she and McMorrow have a small ownership in the new company, but it is just so they can help them get started and then remain in an advisory position if needed.
"The opportunity to help them grow and prosper is something that we look forward to," said Kaiser.
Kanyar and Lackie said they do intend to grow the office and the amount of agents is limitless. They would like to bring on experienced agents, but would not turn away a new agent if he or she is a good fit and have the type of marketing/sales experience needed to make a good agent.
Lackie and Kanyar are excited about their new endeavor and look forward to this new chapter in their real estate career.